Preface
1: Heavenly bodies
2: Goblins and demons
3: Fire and brimstone
4: "H two O" to "O two H"
5: Of ashes and alkalis
6: Loadstones and earths
7: From under the nose
Further reading
Index
Dr Peter Wothers is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of
Chemistry, University of Cambridge, and a Fellow and Director of
Studies in Chemistry at St Catharine's College. He is heavily
involved in promoting chemistry to young students and members of
the public, and, in 2010, created the popular Cambridge Chemistry
Challenge competition for students in the UK. Peter is known
nationally and internationally for his demonstration lectures and
presented the Royal
Institution Christmas Lectures, titled The Modern Alchemist, in
2012. He has also authored a number of popular textbooks, including
Why Chemical Reactions Happen and Chemical Structure and
Reactivity, with
colleague James Keeler. In 2014, he was awarded an M.B.E. for
Services to Chemistry in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
[An] enchanting, eccentric book ... wickedly entertaining.
*Simon Ings, The Spectator*
Such a book could only have been written by an academic deeply
learned and passionate about chemistry ... it is also the kind of
book whose title might pique someone's interest in a bookshop and
inspire a lifelong passion for chemistry and its history ... it
seems worth celebrating that some academics are still producing
books so curious, wide-ranging and enthusiastic.
*Matthew Reisz, The Times Higher Education Supplement*
[An] erudite, complex, but always enjoyably unbuttoned account of
how the elements acquired their names. A charming way to convey the
history of this science.
*New Scientist*
In this stimulating chemical chronicle, Peter Wothers unravels
tangled etymologies.
*Barabara Keiser, Nature*
Wothers book is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in
chemistrys history - and especially for anyone with an interest in
why we chemists use the words we do.
*Brett F. Thornton, Nature Reviews Chemistry*
It is immediately clear that a phenomenal amount of research has
gone into [the book]. The author's own passion for chemistry's
history is evident, through references to a huge variety of
(al)chemical texts... The book is well paced and clearly organised,
and definitely accessible to chemists and non-chemists alike... The
rich tapestry of overlapping and interconnected stories means that
any reader will come away with renewed appreciation of the art and
artifice of our chemistry.
*Philip Broadwith, Chemistry World*
Thorough and well-researched exploration of how the elements were
named ... Readers even casually interested in the history of
chemistry would do well to pick up this energetic survey.
*Publishers Weekly*
Antimony, Gold, and Jupiter's Wolf unfolds as a series of
more-or-less separate and chronological stories ... this makes it
easy for a reader to easily dip in at any point ... lively
volume.
*Nicola Pohl, Science*
Wothers takes us through these mysterious chemical treatments and
discoveries with the ease of a practiced writer. The amount of
information he reveals is astounding and also often
entertaining.
*Gerrard Russell, Magonia Review*
Detailed and thorough ... A well-written reference book on history
of science for the enthusiast, connoisseur or professional.
*Cosette Molijn, NRC Handelsblad*
Peter Wothers combines history of science, the study of the origin
of the names of the elements and general chemical revelations in
his elemental tour, which proved delightful.
*Brian Clegg, Popular Science blog*
A timely study of the chemical elements ... Wothers has included a
great deal of material in his book, and any chemist interested in
the history of his subject will enjoy it. Some will wish to read it
from cover to cover, while others will dip into it for information
on particular elements.
*John Hudson, RSC Historical Group Newsletter*
This erudite yet accessible and entertaining account describes the
challenges, confusions, illuminations, and jealousies involved in
the naming of the underlying fabric of the everyday world. Anyone
who enjoys the practice of science will be enriched by what they
will read here.
*Peter Atkins, University of Oxford*
Everything is here: from making phosphorus out of faeces all the
way to superheavy elements, illuminated by a delightful combination
of chemical insight and historical knowledge.
*Martyn Poliakoff*
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